Key chain



. J. M. GRACE Sept. 1, 1959 KEY cum:

Filed June 18, '1952 PIC-7.2.

INVENTOR; (1 07171 M1. race :vfif y.

Patented Sept. 1, 1959 United States Patent KEY John M. "Grace, Chicago, Ill. Application June '18, 1952, Serial No. 294,214

Claims. envo -451 My invention relates to key chains and to a method for their assembly or manufacture,

Novelty items, particularly those items which embody a trick or puzzle, have always taken the, eye of the American people. In addition to enormous sales of such items over retail counters, the nations advertisers have placed gratuitously in the hands of the public millions upon millions of one ingenious device after another, carrying a small advertising legend for numerous services and articles of manufacture. Key chains, being inexpensive and always useful, are popular advertising premium items and favorite targets for the application of ingenuity.

In my experience, key containers fallinto several gen eral types, none of which is wholly satisfactory. One example is a plain rod-and-bead chain, the ends of which are'joined together by a doubly cupped container to hold the two end beads, the cups being slit for a snap passage of the rods to the bottoms of the cups. When such a chain is new, the slit in the cup is frequently too tight for convenient opening and closing, and after a few such openings and closings, the rod either becomes weakened and breaks orthe slit opens up so that the head is not firmly held. Furthermore it'lies within common experience that removing a single key from the chain without having all of the keys fall off can be accomplished only by the most expert and delicate manipulation.

Another frequently seen type of keyvcontainer involves,

usually with a leather case, a,short-headed shaft, internally threaded, and a headed bolt which is screwed into the shaft. The bolt in this type of container is invariably soon lost or tightened down so tightly that it cannot be removed by the fingers. A third type consists of, usually, several snap hooks mounted in a leather case. This kind is bulky, and after a fed changes of keys, the hooks become spread so that they no longer hold a key securely.

A primary object of my invention therefore is the provision of a key chain which holds a quantity of keys safely and securely with a minimum possibility of the accidental loss of a key therefrom, and yet which permits exceedingly easy removal when desired.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a key chain which is not bulky and which is not exposed to any sort of appreciable wear in the placing on or removal of a key from the chain.

Still another object is to provide a key chain which is characterized by the ingenious and puzzling way in which keys are put on or taken off it.

Another object is the provision of a chain which has an integral part thereof a member providing space for a brief advertising message, or insignia.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a key chain which while meeting the above qualifications, is simple and attractive in appearance.

It of course is well known that articles of this type, and particularly those which are to be used as advertising media and given away, must be made inexpensively, and

therefore a still further object of my invention is the provision of a novel method of manufacture of this ingenious key chain whereby it may be produced at very low cost, without sacrificing any part of its attractiveness.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings of which: I

Fig. 1 is a plan of the key chain embodying my invention shown with a key mounted on it;

Fig. 2 is a plan similar to Fig. 1 showing, however, the method by which a key is put on or taken off the chain;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan, broken away in part to a section, of the left hand end of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a plan similar to Fig. 3 broken away in part, illustrating a stage in manufacture.

The key chain embodying my invention comprises in general three parts; a loop 10, a chain 12, and a fob 14. In the illustrative embodiment, the loop 10 is preferably composed of a length of a stiff but highly resilient and strong wire 16 such as music wire, about an inch and a half long, which is bent through somewhat more than and having relatively straight end portions 18 on either side of the bend. As illustrated, the loop has somewhat the shape of a horseshoe. At its extremities the wire is bent back on itself to define eyes 20. Theloop is substantially encased in a-ilength of plastic tubing 22 which may be of the polyethylene type, this material being flexible and resilient and having both an appearance and a'texture which is pleasing in the instant application. This tube 22 is of a length to leave only the ends of the eyes 20 visible, or, in other words, covers the free ends of the Wire, for the sake of appearance'as well as to prevent the free endsof the wire snagging in pockets or purse linings and to keep thechain from pulling out of the eyes 20. r

- The chain 12 is about four inches long and is hooked at its ends to'the eyes 20. The chain should be of a highly flexible type, i.e., a type which can be doubled back on itself without substantial looping The importance of this flexibility will be shown later. The link type illustrated and the woven type chain would be suitable examples. The essential dimensional limitation on the chain 12 and the loop '10is that their combined total diameter be appreciably smaller than the eye 24 of a conventional key 26. I have found a combined diameter of about inch entirely suitable. This permits the use of chains which are strong enough for the purpose and at the same time will accommodate keys with relatively small eyes. The remaining component, the fob 14, is, in the illustrated embodiment, a fiat metal stamping having a hole 28 formed therein by which it is strung on the chain 12. The illustrated fob is blank and suited for the printing or stamping thereon of an advertising message. Where the chain is not intended for advertising use the fob may take the form of any ornamental design or figure. Its sole dimensional requirement is that it be larger than an eye of a key, to keep the key on the chain.

The way in which this key chain is constructed is as follows: The music wire 16 is first cut to the proper length and bent to the appropriate curvature, and one, somewhat open eye 24 is formed therein at one extremity thereof. The chain 12 is then connected at one of its ends to this open eye and the eye then closed. The plastic tubing 22 is then placed on the wire 16 and slid over the already formed eye 20 so as to leave the other end of the wire substantially clear for manipulation. The requirement that the tubing be capable of being stretched, or at least flattened, to cover the one eye as to 30 (Fig. 4), imposes limitations on the type of plastic used. As pointed out linings, etc.

,,-I;the showing ot Fig; haloneisconsidered, :it will be meted. hstithe way; injvvhich thakcvi v move ifrom-th chain is by no means apparent. I have found, by trying 10m th zkev ph inpamnngfimy frien tha theLtime required for adults, to arriv'eyatrthesolution is *b'etween'one ,aud temmin te The secretds dis l se -in;Fig 2;Wh h

shows a key approximately-halfpn'orhalf E. '-A,keyjis m on thephaimbyip ssing {the l oplow r t y a 14 v9 flamkey2 i-ttheha n d. a a hcdtc th entering -.en ..o h QQPs foll wingihrdugh ,with ,the 1001 After .Efll loonzmhasipa sed mpl ely. rou theey oftth ikeyrlhechai anik y ppe i us t n F gh new 2 .9 t e keyn c ntain ug..b t Sides o the h n 2 w respe t th o '1 an ;b i.n -.h .onit echainhby the:loop at one endiandthe fob 14 at the other. The pr cedu eo em i g the-key i t a etth op .s mply. .thrc d d ac thmu i h y 24 th key, h c ain: e a t stheea in 109p ey fo n \thrbus t t vltv st on ec o wi puttin a n a n o key t a .t eflcx b ity of th Chamb .eome's critical. The chain must be capable of being t whl ba on he loca ei fl a a n ti fi we 0 bul e a a r m h 1 9pt -ih 1 t tf xq cd n t e ,diameter of the key eye 24, then obviously, the; loop ,q n t b th eade hrqn h hek ye ea d t si he .k ey, c ouldpot be put on the chain. I

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of ny invention l claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent: ,A'k y ch n'adanted to hay ak .-m 1herw .sfi dkevh vins anew t e n s a ed fr m t ep r phe y .of said key, c mp s g alcng of. cu v ..mu '.-wir the curvature of said wire being suchthat thedistance between-the ends. ofsaid wire-is greaterithanihe space between said key eye and the portion of the key' periphery --neares't said-eye, a plastic tubular covering-for said wire,

a flexible chain securedhatits. ends. to the ends of said wire, and a fob, having a hole therein, threaded on said chain.

2. A key chain comprising a length of music wire having a curvature of about 180, a plastic tubular covering for said wire, a flexible chain secured at its ends to the ends of said wire, and; ajob, having a hole therein, threaded on said chain. 1 I

3. A key chain coiriprising a length of music wire bent to have a curyature of betvyeen 180 and 270 intermediate its ends; and'td havey'es' atthe ends thereof formedibyfdotiblingrbackithe extremities'of thewire on itself, a tubulanplastiqcoyering rnounted on said wire to overlie said extremities but to"leav a portion of said eyes uncovered, a flexible chain secured at its ends to said eyes and a fob, having a hole formed therein, threaded on said chain.

:T4. A;key chainidorfrprisinga length ofa'resilientginusic wire formed into a generally:horseshoeishape when -.not

;con1presed,-:-with 'eyesmtleachend .thereof, a 'plastic: tubu- :;lar covering'for :said z'wire, a-cflexible ,chainsecured at its Tends. to :s'aid; eyes inrsaid Mire, andja fob having. a. hole .,the'rein .s1idab1y threadedon said chain.

;-5.":A keycehain omprisingal length of resilientmusic .wire bentifito afgenerallyhqrseshoe,shaped. configuration RIidZ'haViHgQEYCS at, thegextrernitiesfithereof, formedaby doublin'gvbacklthe ends ofnthe wire; on itself; .a iflexible tubular-plasticcovering;mounted on said wire. to overlie covered, a flexible chain secured at its ends.= to ,said eyes,

--and afobslidably,mounted;on said chain intermediate of ,,the endsrot'said/chain. 

